North Texas Woman With Chronic Headaches Had Tapeworms in Her Brain

A 31-year-old woman had severe headaches and blurred vision had doctors baffled. What they discovered was shocking.

The report from the Houston Chronicle says she was referred to the Methodist Dallas Medical Center where they were able to remove them.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Richard Meyrat ran a CT scan and found an obstruction in the brain. At first he thought it was a tumor, but after an MRI he realized she was suffering from a tapeworm infection.

Meyrat says they had to make an incision at the base of the skull, remove part of the skull and split the cerebellum. He could then see the tapeworm sacs at the base of her skull and remove them.

She is expected to make a full recovery and suffer no long-term effects.

The woman reported that she had visited family in Mexico two years ago and thought she may have eaten contaminated food. Her doctor said the parasite could have traveled through her bloodstream and into her brain.